AU2015264014B2

AU2015264014B2 - Biofilm media, treatment system and method of treatment

Info

Publication number: AU2015264014B2
Application number: AU2015264014A
Authority: AU
Inventors: David Austin; Joshua P Boltz; Glen T. Daigger; Bruce Johnson
Original assignee: Nuvoda LLC
Current assignee: Nuvoda LLC
Priority date: 2014-05-21
Filing date: 2015-05-21
Publication date: 2018-09-06
Anticipated expiration: 2035-05-21
Also published as: US10138148B2; MX2016015243A; ES2872525T3; BR112016027241B1; EP3146035A4; CN107002004B; US20190055147A1; KR20170016870A; KR102519431B1; EP3146035B1; MX374368B; CN107002004A; DK3146035T3; EP3146035A2; JP6545717B2; JP2017521234A; AU2015264014A1; CA2982076C; BR112016027241A2; NZ727027A

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for treatment of contaminated water employing a mobile supported biofilm. The treatment systems include a bioreactor, a mobile biofilm disposed within the bioreactor, and a solid-solid separation unit attached to the bioreactor. The solid-solid separation unit is adapted to receive an effluent stream from the bioreactor, wherein the effluent contains the mobile biofilm, and separate at least a portion of the mobile biofilm from the effluent and return it to the bioreactor.

Description

The invention illustratively disclosed herein can be suitably practiced in the absence of any element which is not specifically disclosed herein. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specifics thereof have been shown by way of examples, and are described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described. On the contrary, the intention is to cover modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the invention. Additionally each and every embodiment of the invention, as described here, is intended to be used either alone or in combination with any other embodiment described herein as well as modifications, equivalents, and alternatives thereof falling within the spirit and scope of the invention.

[113] In various embodiments, the invention suitably comprises, consists essentially of, or consists of the elements described herein and claimed according to the claims.

[114] Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word comprise or variations such as comprises or comprising, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated element or integer or method step or group of elements or integers or method steps but not the exclusion of any element or integer or method step or group of elements or integers or method steps.

[115] The reference in this specification to any prior publication (or information derived from it), or to any matter which is known, is not, and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or admission or any form of suggestion that the prior publication (or information derived from it) or known matter forms part of the common general knowledge in the field of endeavour to which this specification relates.

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Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A treatment system comprising:

a first bioreactor comprising an inlet adapted to receive a first bioreactor influent having one or more contaminants, a first bioreactor effluent first outlet adapted to dispense a first portion of bioreactor effluent from the first bioreactor and a first bioreactor effluent second outlet adapted to dispense a second portion of bioreactor effluent from the first bioreactor, the second portion of bioreactor effluent comprising a mobile biofilm;

a liquid-solid separation unit in direct fluid communication with the first bioreactor effluent first outlet;

a solid-solid separation unit in direct fluid communication with the first bioreactor effluent second outlet of the first bioreactor and adapted to receive and separate the second portion of bioreactor effluent into a stream comprising mobile biofilm and a stream comprising residual solids, the solid-solid separation unit including an outlet for returning the stream comprising the mobile biofilm to the first bioreactor;

a second bioreactor disposed in fluid communication between the first bioreactor and the outlet of the solid-solid separation unit, the second bioreactor having a first inlet for receiving the stream comprising mobile biofilm from the solid-solid separation unit, a second inlet for receiving a second bioreactor influent, and an outlet for dispensing a second effluent to the first bioreactor.
2. The treatment system of Claim 1 wherein the first bioreactor, in operation, maintains aerobic conditions, anoxic conditions, anaerobic conditions, or a combination of two or more thereof.
3. The treatment system of Claim 1 further comprising another liquid-solid separation unit adapted to receive the stream comprising residual solids from the solid-solid separation unit and further separate the stream comprising residual solids into a secondary effluent and an underflow.

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4. The treatment system of Claim 1 wherein the solid-solid separation unit comprises a hydrocyclone.
5. The treatment system of Claim 1 wherein the mobile biofilm comprises lignocellulosic particles, biological granules, or a combination thereof.
6. The treatment system of Claim 1 wherein the mobile biofilm comprises a characteristic that promotes absorption of an influent contaminant.
7. The treatment system of Claim 6 wherein the characteristic is net negative charge.
8. The treatment system of Claim 7 wherein the influent contaminant has a net positive charge.
9. The treatment system of Claim 8 wherein the influent contaminant is ammonia.
10. The treatment system of Claim 6 wherein the first bioreactor, in operation, maintains aerobic conditions, anoxic conditions, anaerobic conditions, or a combination of two or more thereof.
11. The treatment system of Claim 1 wherein the stream comprising mobile biofilm comprises between 50% and 100% of the mobile biofilm present in the second portion of bioreactor effluent received by the solid-solid separation unit.
12. The treatment system of Claim 1 wherein a source of the first bioreactor influent is different from a source of the second bioreactor influent.
13. The treatment system of Claim 1 wherein the second bioreactor, in operation, maintains aerobic conditions, anoxic conditions, anaerobic conditions, or a combination of two or more thereof.

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14. The treatment system of Claim 1 further comprising a third bioreactor adapted to receive the stream comprising residual solids from the solid-solid separation unit, the third bioreactor having a first inlet for receiving the stream comprising residual solids, a second inlet for receiving a third bioreactor influent, and an outlet for dispensing a third effluent.
15. The treatment system of Claim 14 wherein a source of the third bioreactor influent is different from a source of the first and second bioreactor influents.
16. A method of treating contaminated water, the method comprising:

(a) adding a first bioreactor influent and a mobile biofilm to a first bioreactor;

(b) providing conditions suitable for the mobile biofilm to biochemically transform one or more contaminants in the first bioreactor influent to form a first bioreactor effluent comprising at least the mobile biofilm, water, and residual solid matter;

(c) separating, in a liquid-solid separation unit, water from a first portion of the first bioreactor effluent to form an underflow;

(d) isolating, in a solid-solid separation unit, 50% to 100% of the mobile biofilm from a second portion of the first bioreactor effluent to form an isolated mobile biofilm stream and a residual solids stream;;

(e) adding a second bioreactor influent and a portion of the isolated mobile biofilm stream to a second bioreactor;

(f) providing conditions suitable for the portion of the isolated mobile biofilm stream added to the second bioreactor to biochemically transform one or more contaminants in the second bioreactor influent to form a second bioreactor effluent which includes the isolated mobile biofilm; and (g) delivering the second bioreactor effluent to the first bioreactor.
17. The method of Claim 16 wherein (a) further comprises adding suspended growth to the first bioreactor.
18. The method of Claim 16 wherein the isolating is cyclonic isolating.

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19. The method of Claim 16 further comprising:

separating, in a liquid-solid separation unit, water from a second portion of the first bioreactor effluent to form an underflow, the second portion of the first bioreactor effluent comprising the residual solids stream.
20. The method of Claim 16 further comprising:

isolating, in a solid-solid separation unit, mobile biofilm in the underflow of the liquid-solid separation unit from residual solids in the underflow of the liquid-solid separation unit.
21. The method of Claim 16 wherein (c) and (d) are carried out contemporaneously, and further comprising:

disposing of the residual solids stream or subjecting the residual solids stream to further treatment; and directing the underflow to the first bioreactor.
22. The method of Claim 16 further comprising:

directing the residual solids stream to the second bioreactor.
23. The method of Claim 16 further comprising:

directing the residual solids stream from the solid-solid separation unit to a third bioreactor; and adding a third bioreactor influent to the third bioreactor.
24. The treatment system of Claim 1, wherein the liquid-solid separation unit further comprises a liquid-solid separation unit outlet in fluid communication with the first bioreactor.

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